1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to solar collectors and more particularly to a textile solar collector wherein the collection fluid passes through a textile layer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The principle of operation of a solar collector is well known: the solar energy is absorbed by the collector which converts it into heat and the heat is transferred to a moving fluid. The collectors are generally solid, in the form of a black absorbent plate placed inside a sealed frame covered with a pane of glass, a space being left between the absorbent plate and the pane of glass of the frame to create a greenhouse effect. The moving fluid, which is generally water, passes through a set of tubes located within the absorbent plate. The reverse side of the plate, which is not exposed to the sun, is insulated in the majority of cases in order to avoid heat losses. According to this principle, the energy of the sun, absorbed by the plate, is transferred to the tubes and then to the moving liquid which can either be used immediately or stored for subsequent use.
This type of collector is generally expensive and difficult to construct; described herein is a relatively simple and inexpensive solar collector.